Hey Don, Sounds like you've been having fun ;-)

I'd really like to know how you blew out your washer nozzles. I've been
fighting the passenger side nozzle for a couple of years  using a thin wire.
No joy.

John Meeks
'91 Vanagon MV
Northern Michigan

Vanagon Rescue Squad
www.vanagonauts.com

On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 10:17 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>  Fall in the Northwest US brings 'indoor projects' time and I have been
> having lots of fun lately.
>
>  First I swapped out my older 1.8liter VW inline four block for a newer 2.0
> liter Jetta inline.  That was pretty ambitious, but I seemed to have pulled
> it off pretty well.  I posted about that in other posts.  Been tying up
> loose ends and refining that swap.
>
>  New exhaust system, new mounts for that exhaust system and a revision of
> my
> motor mounts have resulted in a super smooth inline...I thought it was
> pretty good before, but after my latest change to my cross-engine brace,
>  the harmonic vibrations aren't even there anymore.  I drove around for
> almost 3yrs  with my muffler system hanging from the frame of the
> van...putting sound into the chassis.  Now, after some careful fabrication
> and some trial and error, I have eliminated that, and it really makes a
> huge
> difference.
>
>  Then I installed some gauges...Oil temp and Oil pressure.  That's
> something I've been wanting since I first got this van about 3yrs ago.  I
> used some of that trailer wiring "tape"...wire that is flat and contains 4
> wires, color-coded and insulated separately.   A 20' roll cost me $20-some
> but now I have two more unused wires for future transmission of electrons
> from back to front...
>
>   Replaced my old style KC sealed beam Daylighters with the newer style
> replaceable bulb ones...since one of mine was burned out.  Re-aimed those
> and cleaned up all the headlight switches, grounds, relays (I have Hella
> H-4
> headlights)..Then I got to the brake and running lights...brighter bulbs
> and
> cleaned all the connections and made sure everything was properly done
> there.
>
>  I took out my can of SA Besto spray lube and went for it, everywhere.  My
> speedo cable was 'whirring' on cold mornings...no more.  My suspension
> bushings were sometimes a bit squeaky...no more.  My accelerator cable was
> getting a bit 'quirky'...hard to go smoothly from foot-off to just a tiny
> bit of throttle without a big lurch....no more.  Slider is now smooth, etc
> etc etc.   New wiper blade refills, blew out the washer nozzles for a
> better
> squirt pattern.  New-ish snow tires all around and freshly balanced..  New
> hatch struts coming in the mail.
>
>  It is really fun and rewarding to be able to spend some "quality time"
> with 'one of the family'...Dunno what it is about a Volkswagen Van...of
> almost any type...They always seem to insinuate themselves into my life
> like
> no other vehicle...When everything is working just right..they are such a
> pleasure...And it's fun when you can take the time to make everything just
> right..
>
>  Don Hanson
>